Water Steps

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by A. LaFaye

Kyna has a deep-seated (and well-earned) fear of the water. So when her adoptive parents announce that they have rented a summer house on Lake Champlain, she begs to be left behind for the summer.

Alas, this is not possible. Yet even at the lake Kyna does her best to avoid the water, exploring instead the forests and hillsides, documenting them with her camera. But when her new friend, Tylo, draws her into his quest for strange water creatures, Kyna finds herself pulled into unexpected discoveries – not only about the lake, but about her own strange heritage.

A novel that pulses with a passion for nature and the natural world, Water Steps is rich with love and loss, longing and renewal, a bit of mystery and a touch of fantasy. With an extraordinary gift for dialect, author A. LaFaye brings its rhythms to vivid life in this haunting reading.

Author A. LaFaye
Narrator A. LaFaye
Length 3 hrs and 32 mins
© Copyright 2009 A. LaFaye
℗ Audio Copyright 2010 Full Cast Audio

Reviews:

“Author LaFaye reads in a believable fashion, deftly adding lyrical Irish accents to Pep and Mem. . . . Dedicated to ‘every kid who faces a fear and finds a little magic,’ the book translates well to audio.” — Booklist Nov. 15, 2010

“Despite its short length, this is a wonderfully rich tale of a girl who learns to overcome both her deepest fear and her long unaddressed grief. As narrator, LaFaye seems to move effortlessly from character to character: the young, uncertain Kyna; the impulsive, riotous Tylo; and the lyrical-sounding adoptive grandparents, Mem and Pep.” — AudioFile Magazine October, 2010

“Award winning author Alexandra LaFaye’s reading of her “realistic fantasy” is phenomenal. The listener feels as though he/she is in the physical presence of the characters, hearing Kyna’s thoughts, and listening in on conversations between Kyna and her parents and friend, Tylo.” — SoundCommentary August, 2010

Praise for the print version of Water Steps:

“Realistic fiction takes an unexpected turn into fantasy in LaFaye’s lyrical exploration of a girl coping with her fear of water. . . .The final, magical revelation about Mem and Pep’s identity will come as much of a surprise to readers as it does to Kyna.” — Publisher’s Weekly April 27, 2009

“The language is almost poetic with its use of sensory detail, alliteration, and precise word choices. A satisfying story of overcoming one’s fears and discovering secrets.” — School Library Journal September, 2009

“Kyna’s struggles to take “water” (baby) steps and move through her fear will resonate with many kids who are wrestling overwhelming fears of their own… a satisfying journey to hope and understanding.” — Booklist March 15, 2009


Listen to samples from this audiobook:
  1. Water, part 1 (2:57) A. LaFaye 2:57

Meet the Cast:
A. LaFaye Narrator
Directed by: Daniel Bostick
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